Getty Cooper Kupp busts the stiff arm for the Rams during their Super Bowl 56 win on Sunday, February 13.
The Los Angeles Rams and head coach Sean McVay are already undergoing coaching changes just one week after winning the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
Gone are offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, who is taking the head coaching reins for the Minnesota Vikings. Also departed is pass game coordinator and safeties coach Ejiro Evero, who will handle the defensive coordinator duties for the Denver Broncos. Also heading to Denver is Dwayne Stukes, who held the assistant special teams coordinator role for the Rams.
But on Saturday, February 19, the Rams filled one open position by giving a fast-rising college football assistant coach his NFL elevation.
New Assistant Special Teams Coach Comes From Brief Stop in the SEC
First reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Rams have hired Jeremy Springer as the team’s assistant special teams coordinator.
Source: Jeremy Springer has accepted a job as the Rams new assistant special teams coach. Springer spent last year at Marshall and had recently agreed to become the Ole Miss special teams coach.
He was originally slated to join the coaching staff at Ole Miss, which would have paired him with former NFL head coach Lane Kiffin.
SOURCE: Marshall STC Jeremy Springer is expected to become Ole Miss’ new special teams coordinator. Before his time at Marshall, Springer spent three seasons at Arizona coaching special teams. He coached in the SEC at Texas A&M before that. @JohnDBrice1 first reported the move.
The move to bring in Springer comes after the team lost Stukes to Nathaniel Hackett’s growing staff with the Broncos.
We’ve named Ejiro Evero as Defensive Coordinator, Dwayne Stukes as Special Teams Coordinator and Marcus Dixon as Defensive Line Coach.
Stukes was also one of two representatives from the University of Virginia to win the Super Bowl alongside backup Bryce Perkins.
Stukes and Evero aren’t the only ones heading to the Rocky Mountains from the Rams. Assistant defensive line coach Marcus Dixon is also heading to Denver.
Denver Broncos Hire Rams Assistants Ejiro Evero, Dwayne Stukes & Marcus Dixon As Coordinators t.co/OdVG6dDngu
Who is Springer?
Again, to reiterate, this will be the first NFL coaching opportunity for the Los Fresnos, Texas native Springer.
Springer has always coached collegiately. He got his coaching start in 2013 at his college alma mater Texas-El Paso (UTEP) where he was a graduate assistant working with special teams and the Miners’ defensive line.
Springer then moved on to the Southeastern Conference and east of El Paso — by joining the Aggies coaching staff.
Noted by Inside the Rebels’ 247 Sports reporter David Johnson, Springer formed a dynamic pairing with Jeff Banks at Texas A&M, where Springer was the special teams quality control coach from 2015 to 2017. Johnson notes:
“Under Banks and Springer, the Aggies’ special teams were one of the nation’s leaders. In 2017, Texas A&M led the nation in blocked kicks and blocked punts. The Aggies also finished second in the nation in punt returns and third in net punting. In 2016, the Aggies’ special teams led the nation in punt returns and allowed zero blocked kicks. A year prior, they led the nation in punt returns and allowed zero blocked kicks in 2015.”
Springer was also the chief recruiter for the South and West Texas region for Texas A&M.
Then from 2018 to 2020, Springer held his first full-time role with the special teams group with the University of Arizona — where he followed former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin. Last season, Springer worked with Marshall University.
Springer will be heading to a Super Bowl winning specialist crew that could be in for a new placekicker. Matt Gay is among the 19 Ram free agents for the 2022 free agency cycle for March 16. He’ll also work with punter Johnny Hekker, who booted a 59-yarder this past season and downed 23 punts inside the 20-yard line.
He’ll also look to establish a permanent return man for the 2022 season. Rookie Tutu Atwell, J.J. Koski, Brandon Powell and even triple crown receiving winner Cooper Kupp all handled punt returns for the Rams this past season. Powell was the leader in both kickoff and punt returns by averaging 26 and 22 yards per kicks and punts, respectively.